as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shudder
Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
To be frank, Bug is a nightmarish experience — but not in an overt, shudder-inducing way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.
—Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Noun
The age of trade protectionism returned to America in 2025 with the shudder of a closing customs gate.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
To be frank, Bug is a nightmarish experience — but not in an overt, shudder-inducing way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
There was once a time when even the whisper of Cesar Chavez and his United Farm Workers union caused growers across America to shudder.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.
—Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudder
Noun
-
Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And some shivers, because that title isn’t a misdirect.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The starts were violent, ground-shaking and painfully loud.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
People may want to shake off the branches of trees within reach.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Furman is one of a kind: a trans, devoutly Jewish former rabbinical student who’s written a book about Lou Reed and sings folk-punk songs in a mercurial tremble.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
-
Valeria leaves guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother with a constant tremble in her hands from her MS.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The child had jumped at the sting, her bottom lip quivering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Risk factors for cardiac arrest A frequent trigger is rhythm disturbance—especially ventricular fibrillation—in which the heart quivers instead of beating effectively.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Electrons vibrating in some container.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed on a sightseeing flight off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month, killing three passengers, told investigators that the aircraft vibrated and spun before plunging into the water, according to report released Friday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudder. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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